Actor Matthew McConaughey met with President Biden and appeared at the White House on Tuesday to talk about the mass school shooting at his hometown in Uvalde, Texas, after spending time talking to Senators and Representatives on both sides of the aisle about meaningful gun reform. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed by a mass shooter who bought assault weapons on his 18th birthday. It was a powerful speech, and yet somehow, a reporter yelled out, "Are you grandstanding?" at the end of his speech.
"We got to get some real courage and honor our immortal obligations instead of our party affiliations," he said. "Enough with the counterpunching. Enough of the invalidation of the other side," he said. "Come to the common table that represents the American people. Find a middle ground, the place where most of us Americans live anyway. Especially on this issue, because I promise you, America, you, and me, we are not as divided as we are being told we are. No. How about we get inspired? Give ourselves just cause to revere our future again. Maybe set an example for our children, give us reason to tell them, hey, listen, and watch these men and women."
"So, where do we start? We start by making the right choices on the issue that is in front of us today," McConaughey said. "We start by making laws that save innocent lives and don't infringe on our second amendment rights. We start right now by voting to pass policies that can keep us from having as many columbines, Sandy Hooks, Parklands, Las Vegases, Buffalos, and Uvaldes from here on. We start by giving Alithia a chance to be spoiled by her dad. We start by giving Maite a chance to become a marine biologist. We start by giving Ellie a chance to read her Bible verse at the Wednesday night service. We start by giving Irma and Joe a chance to finish painting their house, maybe retire, and get that food truck. We start by giving McKenna, Layla, Eliahana, Annabell, Jackie, Eva, Amerie, and Lexi — start by giving all of them our promise that their dreams are not going to be forgotten. We start by making the loss of these lives matter. Thank you, thank you."
As he exited the room, a reporter yelled out that rude comment. And this is why we can't have nice things. You'd think that that would be Peter Doocy, but reportedly, it was James Rosen of Newsmax that asked whether McConaughey was "grandstanding."
